INDEPENDENCE TWP. — View Newspaper Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Megan Kelley as editor of the Clarkston News.
In her new role, Kelley is responsible for covering municipalities in Independence Township, the City of the Village of Clarkston and Clarkston Community Schools as well as community events and day-to-day activities. Kelley will also coordinate story assignments with Managing Editor Jim Newell, edit copy and review page layout.
“We are excited to promote Megan into her new role as editor of the Clarkston News. Across our newspaper group we have a dedicated team of journalists and editors with experience ranging from recent J-school grads to seasoned pros. We recruit the best young talent and provide opportunities for them to work with and learn from some of the best in the business. Megan’s promotion exemplifies the coming together of maturing talent with opportunity in our growing newspaper group that allows us to promote from within,” said Wes Smith, Group publisher of View Newspaper Group.
Kelley looks forward to the new opportunity to venture into a new area and continue the mission of the Clarkston News to connect the community through our coverage.
“I’ve already started making the rounds and meeting people. Everyone has such kind things to say about the community. I’m really excited to be a part of it,” Kelley said.
“I’ve worked with Megan for the past five-and-a-half years and have been continuously impressed with her growth as a journalist, as someone who takes the time to get to know the community and make connections with people,” said Newell. “She’ll be a trusted source at the Clarkston News and I’m proud of her for stepping up and taking on this new, challenging role.”
Kelley graduated from Oakland University with a degree in journalism and began working in the field in 2018 when she started as a reporter and photographer for the Lake Orion Review, a longstanding community newspaper where she covered Lake Orion Community Schools, the Village of Lake Orion, sports and events.
“I grew up in Lake Orion and still have family there,” Kelley said. “Being able to work in and cover a town that has essentially raised me has been rewarding on so many levels.”
Last year, Kelley took on a larger role for the Oxford Leader, covering the Village of Oxford, Oxford DDA, high school sports, community events and writing features.
“It’s been really nice to expand my reporting to a new area even if it is just up the road. A lot of the people and places are somewhat new to me in Oxford but the challenge was exciting. I love meeting new people,” said Kelley.
Over the years, Kelley has grown a portfolio ripe with coverage from just about every aspect of community journalism from government, school, law enforcement, local charities and organizations, sports to features on anything from individual achievements to tips on how to forage mushrooms safely.
“I love to know things, and more than that, I just love to learn,” Kelley said. “With family and friends in the area, nothing brings me more joy than to be able to say, ‘word on the street is…’ and be able to tell them something they would have never known about if it weren’t for me.”
If you have information to share or a story to tell, contact Kelley at 248-628-4801, or email mkelley@mihomepaper.com.
View Newspaper Group is a locally-owned community newspaper group covering 11 Michigan counties. The company publishes 14 newspapers with print editions reaching more than 250,000 households each week plus an additional 400,000 monthly online readers.